Elite Dangerous’ new Trailblazers update offers Commanders a whole new way to leave their footprints across one of the 400 billion stars in the galaxy, as System Colonisation puts you at the helm of universal expansion for the very first time.
In this guide we’ll cover everything you need to know about how to build your own new colony and establish your place in Elite Dangerous’ galactic legacy.
Did You Know?
You can also learn about System Colonisation by speaking to the new System Colonisation Contact, who can be found in the contact section of station services.How to Create a New Colony
Select a Star System
To start your journey to expand the bubble of human civilisation, begin by accessing the new System Colonisation Contact starport service. You will then be presented with a version of the Galaxy Map to select a nearby unpopulated star system (within a max distance of 16ly) and register your desire to claim it. After selecting the star system you wish to claim, you must then select the type of initial starport or orbital outpost you would like to build in the system. Available types include:- Outposts
- Coriolis Stations
- Ocellus Stations
- Orbis Stations
Create a System Colony
After traveling to your selected star system, you will then deploy a System Colonisation Beacon at a pre-determined location. Once launched via the System Colonisation Suite (a new module which all ships will now contain, similar to the Discovery Scanner), the System Colonisation process initiates and establishes you as the System Architect. The beacon now transmits a star-system-wide countdown, signalling the arrival of a colossal System Colonisation Ship, which provides a temporary hub for the overview and contribution of construction efforts. As System Architect you will then have a fixed period of time to supply a combination of mined and purchased commodities in order to ensure completion of the colony.Did You Know?
If you don’t have the required mined or purchased commodities to complete your colony, a prompt will provide information on how to source them. When the System Colonisation Effort is successfully completed, the System Colonisation Ship will leave and the completed primary starport will appear nearby. The newly established colony is now an Uncontrolled Populated star system and is eligible to be expanded into and controlled via Powerplay.Build up the System Colony
Once a primary starport has been established, it can be improved and upgraded via the continued supply of resources. As System Architect you can place build instructions for a variety of facilities, located either in orbit of a planet via the system map or on the planet itself by travelling to the surface and identifying the perfect deployment site. Available facilities include:- Satellites
- Communication Stations
- Pirate Bases
- Mining Outposts
- Planet Ports
- Horizon or Odyssey Settlements
